With "Late Night Shopping" being your first feature film, did you try to keep it reasonably polite so that your Mother wouldn't get upset?

Mother will be upset anyway. She's like that.

Did you feel any pressure to try and emulate the whole "Trainspotting" success story?

No. "Trainspotting" was a unique phenomenon. We'd be damn happy if our film was half as good, and half as well received.

Do you think that the majority of recent British films have failed to put audience enjoyment first before stylistic concerns?

I think some have misjudged audience enjoyment. People like drama, people like comedy. A few films have mistaken people shooting each other for being both dramatic and comedic. A gun isn't dramatic by itself, neither is it funny.

Would you say that you are more influenced by US movies than UK efforts?

On the whole, yes. But they make more films and they generally make better films, so it's easier to be influenced by them.

Would you ever consider writing a US blockbuster action movie?

I like most US blockbusters. I loved "Armageddon". "Con Air" was so good I saw it twice. I'd love to do a big budget movie, yeah.

Would you ever consider writing lines like "Yeah, I bitch-slapped the motherf***er"?

Constantly.

Have you already chosen one dream project that you'd like to realise before you burn out and start writing TV movies?

There is one, the script is written, and there was major studio interest in it, but the rights belong to a very determined, very rich woman who will not give them up. She's my archenemy.

What's the movie that's frustrated you so much that you'd love to re-write it?

"Event Horizon". The set-up is so scary. It's like the Marie Celeste in space, but at the end it's just a monster lumbering around. What's that about? That, or "Judge Dredd".

If Mickey Rourke phoned you and asked you to write his comeback movie, would you do it?

If I had Mickey Rourke's number, I'd phone him first.

Who do you think is an underrated actor for whom you could write a showcase movie?

Chris Mulkey. He's been in over 50 features, from "Broken Arrow" to "Twin Peaks", but he's never quite had that breakthrough leading role. He's very good, very charming.

One sentence of advice for aspiring scriptwriters out there?

Keep it tight.

What's it like then. To first see the film shooting, and then on the big screen?

I wasn't crazy about the script, I thought I'd done a bad job. So I must be the first scriptwriter to actually prefer the finished product

Read an interview with Luke de Woolfson one of the stars of the film and the director Saul Metzstein.